Potato Farming Biologization as a Food Security Basis

Abstract

The paper discusses the experimental results of growing potatoes based on scientifically grounded crop rotations and biologized technologies. The main biological agriculture problem is to maintain the ecological balance in the biosphere based on the search for natural reserves to increase crop productivity while improving soil fertility and quality of crop products and reducing costs for energy and resources required for their production. The studies have revealed that green manure affects not only the yield of potatoes but also the population of soil microorganisms, which leads to increased reproduction of bacteria and actinomycetes. The highest yield was recorded in the crop rotation with sweet clover – 16.8 t/ha; when plowing the pea-oat mix, it reached up to 15.4 t/ha, and when plowing oats - up to 16.3 t/ha, which increased yield by 0.5-2.9 %. From among the most effective environmentally sound technologies, organic fertilizers, growth stimulants, and various fungicides are also applied. When using various organic fertilizer doses in combination with mineral fertilizers, the yield of potatoes and the content of phosphorus and potassium increase. Complex treatments of plants with ‘Ridomil Gold’ and ‘Cuproxat’ fungicides during the growing season reduce the incidence of fungal and bacterial diseases in both plants (by 3.7-3.9 %) and tubers (by 2.7-3.5 %) during the storage period.